Call off the search parties, my fellow Scribble Chick readers; I'm back after an embarrassingly long hiatus...Truth be told, the time that's elapsed between this post and my last one is a little sad to say the least. See, I've had countless ideas for my regular Thursday post, but I never quite got around to sharing them, thanks to, well, the constant push and pull of everyday life.
But that's all about to change, my friends. While my schedule is certainly no less crazy, I'm learning how to manage it better, to make time for the things that are really important—like dialoguing with my fellow writers. And I guess what I've been experiencing these past couple of months is something we all can relate to, which is exactly why I'm writing about it.
When it comes to what's really important to you, and I'm guessing writing definitely falls into that category since you're here, it's easy to let less important things (that's you, Facebook and Twitter) consume all your time. Even things that don't fall into the social networking category can also steal our attention and focus, meaning that current WIP remains just that—a work in progress—rather than the fully realized novel of your dreams.
In the past few weeks, I've made significant strides in fighting for what I love to do, rather than just what I have to do. And trust me, this wasn't exactly easy. After all, it required me to embrace something I'm not such a fan of—structure. While I'd like to think I can work on my WIP any time I feel inspired, it always seemed to take a backseat to something else. Deciding change needed to come now rather than never, I put a plan in motion.
So here I was, full of ideas and excitement about my novel, but my progress was moving forward at a veritable snail's pace. Discouraged and a bit disgusted by the fact that it was already late July, and I wasn't nearly as far into the story as I hoped to be, I did some serious reevaluating of my life, schedule—what I needed to give up and what I needed to shift in priority.
And while I'm still far from perfect and will always be, I've certainly noticed how these changes have dramatically helped my WIP. Not only do I know exactly when I'm going to write, but I look forward to it. I'm kicking procrastination to the curb, one small step at a time, and am so excited about where the story is taking me (and eventually, the reader).
Now how about you? What is holding you back from making the progress you'd like? Is there a bad habit that needs to change for you to take that crucial next step?
Yay Christa! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is timely for a lot of writers, I think. Especially in summertime, when we want to kick back and not have structure and just bask in the sun and lemonade. And for some that have that option (for example,I do not, as toddlers are toddlers regardless of the season of year. lol), more power to ya! Take a break. But don't let the break take you. It's like when you're bored, and the more you just lay around and not do anything, the less inclined you are to do something. It's easy to let that same feeling affect our writing and eventually, kill our dream of finishing or publishing a novel. Because it IS work.
Who else is ready to come back from a break? :)
Can't wait to hear more about your next novel!!
ReplyDeleteThanks sooo much, ladies! :) So glad to be back, and B.J., I promise to fill you in any time you'd like. :) Can't wait to see pics of your little bambina, by the way!!! Sooo exciting.
ReplyDeleteSending lots of love from the hottest place on earth!
:) Christa